Baked Macaroni Shells

Who doesn't like cheesy baked macaroni? It's not the healthiest stuff to eat but goes well with the turkey and dressing not to mention kids love it; except my child but she's picky about all food. Sigh.
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Anyway, it's simple to make, and all it requires you to do is boil macaroni and cut up some cheese. That isn't so hard to do, is it? I mean you can always buy the box kind with the orange powder or the orange glob of cheese that is full of additives and salt. If you have a lot of it left over from the holidays, you can add hotdogs or polish sausage to it for the kiddo's lunch entrée.
Ingredients
1 package of elbow macaroni or shells
1 package of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of diced Velveeta cheese cubes
1 egg
4 Tbsp butter
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook macaroni according to package directions. I add salt to the water and 1 Tbsp butter. Don't over cook the pasta since you are going to bake it in the oven. Cook macaroni until it is al dente which is firm. Over cooked pasta has a higher glycemic index than firm pasta. Drain the pasta but don't rinse. The salt and butter from the water has seasoned your pasta. Put the macaroni in a casserole dish and add the rest of the butter to the pasta. I sometimes make a cheese sauce with milk and Velveeta cheese in a sauce pan or add the cubed cheese to the macaroni and pour the milk over the pasta. If you make the cheese sauce, pour the milk into a saucepan and add the cheese cubes and cook until melted then pour over macaroni shells. I then add half the package of shredded cheese and mix it into the shells. Afterwards, I beat an egg with a which. Add the egg to the pasta dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the macaroni. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; cover the casserole dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and take off the lid and bake for an extra 10-15 minutes until it is bubbly.


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